Professor Robert Zussman of the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the recipient of the ESS 2016 Merit Award.

His first book, Mechanics of the Middle Class: Work and Politics Among American Engineers (1985) received an Honorable Mention at the C.W.Mills Award. In 1992, Intensive Care: Medical Ethics and the Medical won the first Elliot Freidson Award from the Medical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association. As an editor of the ASA Rose Monograph Series from 2000 to 2006, he co-edited and wrote the introduction for Public Sociology. Zussman is the author of many articles; in all of his research projects, his objective is to look at “people in places,” to examine behavior, beliefs and the tensions between them in the institutional contexts in which both are produced.

Professor Zussman has a long history of service to the profession, both in the ASA and in the Eastern Sociological Society, which he presided in 2011-2012, culminating in the extremely successful meeting entitled “Storied Lives: Culture, Structure and Narrative.”

During his presidency, he encouraged in every possible way the recognition and institutionalization of sociology in Community Colleges, from their first mini-conference to the current committee, for which he continues to be an indispensable resource person. He has been the editor of Qualitative Sociology and has served ESS on the board of Sociological Forum, on the Publications Committee and as chair of the Robin Williams Lecture Committee.

For the 2017 award, the ESS Merit Award Committee invites members to recommend candidates. Those suggested should be distinguished scholars who have made outstanding contributions to the discipline, the profession, and the ESS. The committee may reconsider past recommendations but would appreciate a short statement to re-activate them. Recommendations should include a statement in support of the nominee and should be sent by October 31, 2016 to the committee chair:Joanna Dreby
ESS Merit Award Committee
University at Albanyjdreby@albany.edu